Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-07-07
NO ILL WILL.

sit is from no ill-will to those lately
in rebellion that the G. A. r. has so ve-
hemently opposed the Presidents plan
to send back the captured battle Gags.
1t is from no desire to retard the holy
work of binding up the Nations wounds
and obliterating all sectional hatred.
The comrades of the G. A. r. have
more practical work in this direction
than any other equal number of men.
They are the men above all others who
have the good Of the country most at
heart, for they have made greater sscri>
fees than any other to secure that good.
Deeply anxious that the country should
be thoroughly reunited, they have spar
ed no effort since the war to soften the
animosities eDgendered by the conflict.
They have not believed, however, that
this desirable result could be FASTENED
by displays of sloppy and gushing senti-
mentality such as many people favor,
and of which the return of the battle
flags Is conspicuous instance. This
sort of thing never accomplishes any
result except the creation of nausea.
The men who fought US are full grown,
common-sense men, "A no look at things
in a manly way. They are not to be
cajoled into good humor by bon boDs
and play things like a punished child
They do not want to be constantly pa
lavered over, gushed over, and made the
object of ostentatiOus favors and con-
cessions. They want US to be true to
ourselves and to the principles which we
have made dominant in the Govern
ment. Their self-respect and consist
eney are best maintained when we
maintain our consistency and self
respect.
This the G. A. r. has done. With
malice toward none, and with charity
for all, it has steadily insisted that the
war for the union was eternally right,
and that the decision of the srbitrament
of arms is sacred, unquestionable, un>
cbangeable. 1t has been iDfexible that
any attempt to prevent that decision or
rob it of a particle of its force and effect
is an uncomfortable wrong. No man or
set of men must do ought to unsettle
that which has been settled at such an
enormous cost of the best blood In the
land. The thinking. patriotic men of
the South are with US in this. They
dread as much as We do anything that
looks like the reOpening of any issue
which has closed at such terrible expense.
The official and formal return of the
rebel battle flags by the President of the
United States CAD not Lelp taking the
appearance Of decided step in the reo>
peLing of that issue. 1t disturbs the
fiDality of the settlement by formally
repudiating some Of the terms. For the
first time in the history of our Govern
ment it recognizes officially the right of
the states to make war upon the Gov
ernment, to raise volunteer organiza-
tions' of hostile character, which can
have property in alien flags. The con-
sequences of this pOrtentOus step may
at any moment assume an aspect quite
as alarming to the Southern people as to
ourselves. If the United States can be
shown to admit that States can legally
make War upon it, then there must also
follow the general recognition that they
have the power to borrow money to car
ry on that war. and this will give the
holders of the Confederate bonds .
standing in court to collect their money
from the several states composing the
socslled Southern Corfederacy. This is
the scheme OF the European holders of
these securities. and they are keenly on
the lookout for an opportunity to insert
the entering wedge.
This is the practical, unsentimental
side of the matter. The other aspects
are:
Il. Tbe G. A. f. comrades are bitterly
opposed to having trophies which repre-
sent the most exalted courage and devo-
tiOn of loyal American bartered away
by managing politicians to purchase
popularity for themselves. They justly
regard this as prostitution of most
sacred things.
2. They are bitterly opposed to hav-
ing these trophies. which cost some of
the best blood in the nation to gain, per-
verted from their present use as object
lessons to sanctify treason in the minds
of the present generation. and glorify it
In the hearts and imsginations of the
generations which are to come. They
believe that this official surrender of
these trophies will greatly enhance their
importance to those who may be disaf |
fected to the Government; will give
them announcement such AS they have |
not received since the close of the war,
and will greatly delay the final assusg-
ing of all the bitterness engendered |
This Is result as much to be depTecat-
ed by the Southerners as ourselves, for
they have precisely as much to loose
by it as we hsve."-National Tribune.
A stage travelling between Saraci and |